Photo: YouTube
There are a lot of accusations flying around.
By Dan O'Reilly
Written on Jun 23, 2022
YouTuber Jeff Wittek is suing David Dobrik after sustaining serious injuries from a 2020 accident.
Wittek is asking for $10 million in damages from Dobrik, 25, for "general negligence and intentional tort," alleging that the accident caused him to miss out on work and accumulate expensive hospital bills.
Wittek, 32, has publicly bashed his former friend and fellow "Vlog Squad" member in the months leading to the lawsuit.
What happened with Jeff Wittek and David Dobrik?
In June 2020, Wittek sustained face and skull injuries in a near-death accident while swinging on a rope attached to an excavator that was being operated by Dobrik in a Utah lake.
Wittek, Dobrik and several friends had been filming a video for Dobrik's YouTube channel which was intended to mark his return to the platform after a hiatus during the pandemic.
A video of Jeff Wittek's accident shows David Dobrik suddenly stopping the excavator.
In Wittek's legal filing, he claims that Dobrik was spinning the machinery at "unsafe speeds" before stopping. In the video, Wittek hits the machinery which he claims caused "a myriad of injuries."
One of the witnesses of the accident described the damage in a docuseries the Wittek later released, saying, “the whole side of his face was just open.”
The accident would require Wittek to get at least nine surgeries to repair the damage to his face. The social media star also claimed that he nearly went blind in one of his eyes, nearly died, and has some brain injuries as well.
In the aftermath of the accident, Wittek appeared to mend his friendship with Dobrik.
Wittek even said Dobrik had agreed to foot his medical bills and the pair were seen together online. However recent events suggest the barber-turned-YouTuber is no longer on speaking terms with his former friend.
Jeff Wittek revealed that he has completely cut ties with David Dobrik.
In February, after Wittek underwent more sugery to repair the injury, he Wittek unfollowed Dobrik on social media and went public with his negative feelings toward the "Views" host.
During a February livestream, Wittek said that he was done with Dobrik, saying, “I’m done being fake friends with that motherf—er.”
He also claimed Dobrik had failed to pay some of the bills he promised to cover, damaging Wittek's credit score in the process.
He later pulled his comedy set from an upcoming video hosted by fellow Vlog Squad member Jason Nash over disagreements about Dobrik's involvement.
In another video, Wittek further explained that he was primarily upset after seeing footage of Dobrik in an unreleased documentary. Wittek claims Dobrik appeared to blame him for the accident in the clip.
David Dobrik apologized for Jeff Wittek's eye injury in a March podcast.
“The Jeff thing is the f—ing worst," he said in an episode of "Views."
"That day is the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, and I would do anything to take that day back. I’m shaking.”
“It’s the most unfortunate thing ever, and it’s an accident. That’s what it was. I want to make that clear. There’s never a world where I want to have that happen to a person. I was never up there, driving the thing, wanting to hurt someone.”
Dobrik showed message from Wittek suggesting they do the stunt and said he hesitant to be “taking 150% of the responsibility” since it was a shared decision.
David denied not paying Jeff's medical bills.
Both Dobrik and his assistant Natalie Mariduena claimed they had paid every bill that Wittek's team sent to them but suggested that Wittek had not alerted them of all of the payments.
Dobrik also acknowledged that he has not been the best communicator and says he should have reached out more often.
"I’m so f—king sorry it happened, but there’s no going back from that,” he added.
The popular YouTuber has found himself in hot water in April 2021 amid allegations that he coerced a woman into engaging in sexual acts with a member of his Vlog Squad, Dom Zeglaitis aka Durte Dom. The woman claimed she was raped by "Durte Dom" after Dobrik had supplied her with alcohol and filmed her entering a bedroom with him.
While these allegations were unfolding, more information came out that revealed Dobrik had also been responsible for seriously injuring Wittek while filming one of his vlogs in summer 2020.
Dan O'Reilly is a writer who covers news, politics, and social justice. Follow him on Twitter.